3DS in High Demand after Japanese Launch, Already Hacked

Following the Nintendo 3DS launch over the weekend, the dual screen handheld is already in demand. Reports have stated that 400,000 units were available at launch, but those were quickly snatched up by consumers. The following day, more 3DS systems were made available at Japanese retailers, sating the 3DS-hungry fans in the process. By the end of the month, 1.5 million 3DS handhelds are expected to ship in Japan, and 4 million are expected to ship worldwide. Though it's difficult to tell how well the system will do in the long run due to the increasing trend of mobile gaming as well as the standard set by its predecessor, the 3DS is certainly off to a good start.

In other news, at least one (and possibly others) of those 3DS units sold was hacked within 24 hours of launch. The hack allows the 3DS to play pirated DS titles, but there is currently no hack for bootleg 3DS games. Nintendo is likely to approach the situation similar to when the Wii is hacked, meaning they'll release a firmware update that protects the system against the latest hacks and mods.

David Sanchez
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